Sunday, August 12, 2018

Use Me

Sometimes the THC Memory Bank fails and he loses track of music he enjoyed way back when. In this case he was reminded when Use Me turned up as the soundtrack for a recent TV commercial. That is one funky tune, and Bill Withers wrote and sang a series of melodic singles during the 70s, made particularly memorable by his resonant, warm voice.

Withers was a late bloomer on the pop scene, born in Slab Fork, West Virginia, enlisting in the navy out of high school, serving nine years in the navy and beginning his attempts to break into the music scene only in his late 20s. Even when he had his first hit (Ain't No Sunshine) at the age of 33 in 1971, he initially did not quit his assembly job at Douglas Aircraft Corporation, doubting the ability to sustain a career in music.

Bill quit the music business in 1985, frustrated with the entire scene. He was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame by Stevie Wonder in 2015. He celebrated his 80th birthday this past July 4.

Use Me (1972) - This live version is even funkier than the recording. The bass, drums, and keyboards have such a groove.

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This blog is about music, baseball, history, books, movies and whatever else catches my interest. It'll have new posts on most days. If I ever get any comments I reserve the right to do whatever I please with them since it's my blog.